


Tortilla Soup for the Soul

by Rose_Verte



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Lup but only in the background, M/M, ditto with merle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-17
Updated: 2019-10-17
Packaged: 2020-12-20 23:48:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21065219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rose_Verte/pseuds/Rose_Verte
Summary: Did someone say Taakitz sick fic? (It was me. I said it.)





	Tortilla Soup for the Soul

**Author's Note:**

> Big thanks for my amazing friend Jeanne who: 
> 
> a) texted with me about Taz while we both weren't feeling well and told me this was not a stupid idea and I should totally write it. 
> 
> b)Reminded me that I need to reread things before posting them.
> 
> c) Gave me the title.

Generally speaking, elves don't get sick. That is, elves from the planar system where our story takes place do not get sick. Some elves, although still possessing immune systems stronger than any of the short lived races, occasionally get the really fucking knocked out, dizzy, snot nosed, congested, vomity and unattractive kind of sick and one of these elves was Taako, who you might know from TV.

Taako hated getting sick. He hated the way he looked. He hated the way he felt. And he especially hated the way it affected his magic. Being sick made him weak. He could cast a low level spell if he really needed to, sure, but it took effort. A lot more effort than he was comfortable with, in fact. The only upside was that for elves, even from his homeworld, sickness never lasted very long. In fact, twenty five years into their hundred year journey and Merle had gotten it down to twelve hours (sometimes as little as ten for Lup but she was always the heartier twin). All he had to do was find those herbs Merle had given him after they’d all gotten their memories back but before they’d all gone off to start their own lives for real, curl up on the couch for a while and ride that shit out. The only problem with that course of action was that it was best if you could anticipate an upcoming illness. Otherwise, you might find yourself in a situation where you crawl out of bed to make breakfast as usual but instead spend twenty minutes making the most disgusting combination of retching, coughing and sneezing noises imaginable and your boyfriend inevitably wakes up to find out if you're dying and need to be escorted to the astral plane. Which was the situation Taako found himself in right then.

“Taako? Babe? Are you...okay?” 

“I’m sick.” Taako replied, irritably, as he dug through the cupboard in search of the green tea Klarg had sent a few months ago as a housewarming present. A present for buying the house which he technically lived in alone but that in reality Kravitz had been staying with him at so frequently that was beginning to feel some very unwelcome pangs of discomfort when reminded that their cohabitation was only technical and that Kravitz had an entirely different plane he had to return to sometimes. Not that day, though. That day Taako was ready to get on his hands and knees in praise of Istus in the knowledge that his boyfriend had planned to leave for a job that morning and he would be allowed the indignity of being repulsive and helpless in peace. Yep. Any minute now.

“I thought elves didn't-” 

“This one does.” Taako snapped. He continued to avoid his eyes as he filled the kettle with water and tried, unsuccessfully, to stop his hands from shaking. Fantasy Christ, he hated this. His whole body fucking ached and even normal ass kitchenware felt heavy. He let out a sigh which unfortunately turned into another hacking cough. “Babe-” See this was what he was trying to avoid. There was a...a tone in Kravitz’s voice now that he wasn't used to and didn't think he cared for. Confusion? Pity? Barely concealed disgust? It didn't matter. Because whatever it was, fuck that. “I'm trying to make breakfast, Krav. Can you not hover for once?” Which may have come out as a bit more aggressive than his usual teasing about his boyfriend’s uselessness in the kitchen but if it got him out of the way and out the door he would make it up to him once his stupid body decided to shape up and fly right. 

Still turned away he heard Kravitz grunt, take a few steps back and then...silence. Ok. Good. That was...good. But fuck. Was he actually going to have to cook now? Kravitz was leaving today, and that usually meant french toast (it wasn't something he insisted on or anything, but his boy liked french toast and that's just how Taako did). He’d gotten the eggs and the bread out earlier (before he’d realized his entire physical being was in revolt) but he honestly didn't think he was going to be able to lift the milk. As if to underscore the point, his hands shook again. He groaned, putting the kettle down and holding his head in his hands. He just needed...a minute. That was all. He’d be ok if he could have...just a minute. But instead he found himself almost thrown completely off balance as Kravitz reached over him, took the kettle and continued the tea making process himself, moving around Taako as if he were a minor obstacle at best. 

Acting on the instincts of a body that was clearly too riddled with illness to know what was good for it, Taako allowed himself to sort of fall/lean back onto his boyfriend’s chest as he passed behind him, effectively stopping him in his tracks the way the heroine in one of the Dungeons of Passion novels you occasionally found at fantasy truck stops might. It was definitely a counterproductive move but Kravitz had gotten so good at controlling his body temperature in the last few months, hovering somewhere around Taako’s-optimal-nap-condition degrees at all times. He couldn't help it. He felt...pleasant to the touch now. Like, really fucking pleasant. But despite what his stupid, moron, temporarily falling apart body thought, that was not a sensation he had time to indulge in at the moment. He had shit to do. 

“I had it.” He heard himself protest, eyes still closed and voice more petulant than he’d intended. Kravitz let out a snort that although not entirely unkind, clearly indicating his disbelief on that front. That was the thing about Kravitz. Enforcer of the rules of life and death though he might have been, but at least with him, he was never unkind. Which, at the moment, was more frustrating than endearing. There was no reason for him to be patient right then. Taako was not fit for company and they both knew it, so why put up a front? I mean, if you thought about it, if you were going to get all smug and cool so you could prove that you were the nice one in the relationship that wasn't actually being all that nice was it? No, it wasn't. So yeah. He won that one.

“I know, babe. I’m just trying to-” “Whatever.” He extracted himself from his grasp and shuffled off to the bathroom to find those herbs, which turned out to be wedged between a very old bottle coconut hair mask and his last packet of overnight eye cream. He truly felt like he’d run a mile by the time he made his way back to the front of the house, flopping gracelessly onto the couch and hoping against hope that Kravitz had made his point with the tea and that he would be left alone so he could make it through the rest of the day with his dignity intact. Though in hindsight, it wasn't his most well thought out strategy. Now that he was sitting, he wasn't sure if he would ever be able to get up. He let his eyes close for just a moment (Taako couldn't always manage true sleep, but he sure did love resting his eyes) and the next thing he knew, there was Kravitz, nudging him gently awake. He groaned, wiping his eyes. “Ok, ok. Sheesh.” Two mugs of tea sat, perfectly steeped (and on the good coasters) on the coffee table in front of him along with what looked to be a plate of offensively overdark toast (just the regular kind, though. Kravitz knew his limits). This was getting ridiculous. “Look, I appreciate the gesture, but you don't have to-what time is it, anyway?” He could feel Kravitz shrug behind him. “A little after five. Taako-” “Are you kidding? Go back to sleep, my man. I'm fine. I’m good, I-look, I've gotten sick before. I have these…” He waved his hand vaguely at the stopper of herbs “whatever they're called from Merle. They’ll have me up and running by tomorrow.” He caught Kravitz raising an eyebrow from the corner of his eye and cut him off “Believe me, I'm the first one to be surprised that he actually got one right, but he did have a hundred years to work on it.” 

“Taako-”Kravitz started again. He put a hand on his. It was warm. Almost too warm. Enough was enough. “I’ma cut you off there, slugger. I am fine. I have this. Really. So you can just go back to bed or barring that, go to work and forget about it.” “Baby-” Kravitz voice was now taking on a soft, sweet quality that he would have normally enjoyed but was, at the moment, making him feel like a cornered animal. “Don't...man I don't know how else to get this through to you. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I’ve got the guy who makes my medicine attuned to my Stone of Farspeech and if I need to eat I am really, really good at providing myself with more appetizing options than burnt toast. If I get really, really bad I already have the person who’s been making me soup and listening to me hack-cough since I was twelve years old that I can call. I don't need you hovering around here giving me pity eyes. You have a...more important things to worry about. This is not a big deal, ok?” 

He closed his eyes again, riding another wave of dizziness. He knew he’d pushed it a little too far that time. He could hear it in his voice as he said it. He was being _ mean_. Whatever Kravitz's deal was, he knew that annoyance wasn't the healthiest way react to a loved one who was trying to help out. He just...he’d had a plan. He was going to take care of it. Kravitz was leaving. If he’d just gotten the timing right, no one would have ever had to know he’d gotten sick. 

And the worse part was that the longer this went on the more some part of him didn't want Kravitz to leave at all and in fact wished he would...just sort of hang around close by for the rest of the day and maybe like, pet his hair once in a while. Which, he knew, was probably not an unreasonable request for someone in a serious relationship but when you weighed the pros and cons of basically admitting to a person for the first time that you needed them and then having to watch them leave in a few hours anyway it didn't seem worth it. Not that any of this navel gazing mattered at this point because it looked like he’d managed to actually piss him off with his attitude this time. He didn’t say anything for a while. Like a while. He was starting to drift off again when quietly, but maybe not so sweetly as before, Kravitz sighed and said “Okay, whatever you want, Taako. I’ll call Lup.” 

Which was very much not what he wanted. There was no one in the world Taako trusted to take care of him more than his sister, sure, but the idea of calling her before sunrise because he had a cold seemed to blur the lines of appropriate sibling behavior. It wasn't that he thought she wouldn't have come or that he even thought she was sleeping. It was just that ten years without her had changed the way he thought about those kinds of things (even though they both liked to pretend it hadn't) and he knew that, as much as he didn't want to relive the memory, he had on occasion been able to nurse himself back to health completely and totally alone. 

“Don't.” He sighed. “This isn't...I don't need you to call anyone right now, man. I told you. I’m good.” “You're not _good_, Taako.” Kravitz replied with a bit more sarcasm than he usually directed his way. “You're...I’ve never seen you like this.” He looked up at him, intending a retort about spell slots but it died on his lips. The look in his boyfriend’s eyes...it wasn't pity, or annoyance or disgust or smugness or anything like that it was...and this should have been obvious to him earlier but somehow it hadn't been... it was worry. If Taako hadn't already felt like garbage, he did now. “Krav, honey, you're being ridiculous. Look, I know this might a lot to ask for you, but can you just trust me to take care of myself for a few hours without like dying or anything? Please?” “Taaaaako.” Kravitz brushed his hair out of his eyes, frustratedly. “Come on. Are you kidding? I'm being ridiculous? You can barely stand up!” “Yes,I-” he stood up as quickly as he could, but his stupid body betrayed him once again because he swayed, actually swayed and had be helped back down. He felt his face grow hot and he doubted it was from a fever. Fine, whatever. He was full fainting fucking maiden now and Kravtiz was witnessing it. What was the use fighting it anymore? He sighed, letting his head rest on his shoulder for moment. “Look...I’m not...I’m obviously not at my best right now, so if we could do away with the part where we’re fighting on top of everything, that would be really choice.” 

He felt the ghost of a chuckle as Kravitz kissed his hairline. “I know you’re not…” he sighed a little “I’m really not trying to...smother you or... I just thought... look, If you’d rather Lup or Merle or, whoever, come over, that’s fine. Just, I would feel a lot better if I could hang out until they got here. I know you can take care of yourself. Literally everyone in the planarverse knows you can take care of yourself. But you don’t _have_ to and it...I’d just really rather not leave you alone like this. And...seriously. The first time we met, if you remember, you summoned a bunch of tentacles and then passed out. I’m not going to get freaked out or...think less of you just because I’ve seen you sick, if that’s what this is about.” 

For some reason, Taako’s stupid body decided that this was the time for tears to form in his eyes, on top of everything else. “Don’t you...I thought you had a mission today?” He felt Kravitz rub his shoulders lightly. “I’ve been doing this a long time, babe, I’m allowed a little leeway with my hours.” Taako tried, unsucessfully, not to laugh. He was really starting to feel those coughs in his chest. “Ok, but sometimes you have to-.” “Sometimes.” Kravitz conceded. “And sometimes, full disclosure, It’s more that I have to go out for coffee because I figure that we both need a minute where we’re not breathing down each other’s necks. But if you need me, like really need me, I'm here. I mean, I want to be here.” Well. That was..he didn't really know what to say. He rubbed the rim of his cup absently. When he could finally get it out his voice sounded small. “I mean if you really want to stay, can you...can you cool your hands down a little for me? Cha boy is burning up.” Almost immediately a now decidedly chillier Kravitz had wrapped him in a tight embrace. “Oof, take it down a notch, Frosty. Again, maybe not in your nature, but I don't want to freeze to death.” He felt Kravitz chuckle a quick “sorry” behind him as he adjusted again. Ah. There it was. Warm chest. Cool hands. The perfect formula. “Thanks.” Kravitz kissed his forehead lightly again,right on the hairline (which was one of his favorite places to be kissed). Taako let out a breath he didn't know he was holding (which unfortunately became another cough). “Don't uh, not the lips, ok? You don't want this...whatever it is.” Kravitz snorted. “Illness hasn't been a problem for me in a very long time, Taako.” “You never know!” “Ok.” Kravitz kissed his cheek gently. “So I get sick. You wouldn't take care of me?” He couldn't help it. He cracked a smile at that one too. “Ok, ok, fair.” He turned his head to the side so he could give his boyfriend another actual look. “Man, who gave you the right to look so hot at five in the morning when I look like a snot goblin?” He kissed him, mostly avoiding the snot. “Cutest snot goblin I’ve ever seen.” “Alright, don’t start getting into it.” “No promises.” He kissed his ear before adding “Seriously, though I can still call Lup if you want. I'm sure she'll whip you up something more appealing than I did.” “Lup Soup.” Taako agreed quietly, smiling at one the few fond memories he had of his childhood. “But no, I…” He tilted his head so he could catch Kravitz's eyes again. He was all over the place. He owed him an explanation. He knew he did. But where to start? “I didn't want...I hate being like this, my magic’s all screwy and I feel...I know Lup would have come, of course but after everything... I didn't want anyone to have to...and you especially I...I would have preferred you didn't see me in...this light. But.” He sighed. “I'm glad you're here.” 

And soon enough, after a few more snotty kisses, and a generous portion of a surprising complicated herbal concoction, two beings who normally didn't even need to sleep passed out cuddled up on their couch. And when they woke up well after lunchtime, their sister had popped by for a visit, gently chided them for not calling her sooner, had begun making a very aromatic soup and was purposefully ignoring Taako’s hoarse interjections about which pots she was and wasn't supposed to be using. I regret to inform you, however, that about a half an hour after that Kravitz started coughing. But that's a story for another day.


End file.
